1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a projection objective with a lens arrangement, which can be divided into six lens groups. The first, third, fifth and sixth lens groups have positive power and the second and fourth lens groups respectively have negative power. The division of the lens system into lens groups is described in more detail hereinafter, based on the direction of propagation of the radiation.
The first lens group is positive and ends with a lens of positive power. A bulge is formed by the first lens group; it is unimportant if negative lenses are also arranged in the bulge.
The second lens group is of negative total power. This second lens group has as its first lens a lens having a concave lens surface toward the image. This second lens group substantially describes a waist. Here, also it is not of substantial importance if a few positive lenses are included in the second lens group, as long as the waist is maintained.
The third lens group begins with a lens having positive power and a convex lens surface on the image side, and which can be a meniscus. If a thick meniscus lens is provided as the first lens, the separation of the lens groups can be considered to be within the lens.
The fourth lens group is of negative power. This fourth lens group begins with a lens of negative power, followed by several lenses having negative power. A waist is formed by this lens group. It is unimportant if lenses having positive power are also contained within this lens group, as long as these influence the course of the beam over only a short distance and thus the waisted shape of the fourth lens group is maintained.
The fifth lens group has positive power overall. The first lens of this fifth lens group has a convex lens surface on the image side. A bulge is formed by the fifth lens group.
After the lens of maximum diameter (the bulge), there follow at least an additional two positive lenses in the fifth lens group, further negative lenses also being permitted.
The sixth lens group is likewise positive in its total power. The first lens of the sixth lens group is negative and has on the image side a concave lens surface. This first lens of the sixth lens group has a considerably smaller diameter in comparison with the maximum diameter of the bulge.
2. Background Art
Such projection objectives are in particular used in microlithography. They are known, for example, from the German Applications DE 198 55 108A, DE 198 55 157A, and DE 198 55 158A, in which the Applicant participated, and from the state of the art cited therein. These documents are incorporated herein by reference.
These projection objectives are usually constructed from purely spherical lenses, since the production and testing technology is advantageous for spheres.
Projection objectives are known from German Application DE 198 18 444 A1 which have lenses having aspheric surfaces in at least the fourth or fifth lens group. An increase of the numerical aperture and of the image quality can be attained by means of the aspheric surfaces. The projection objectives shown have a length from the mask plane to the image plane of 1,200 mm to 1,500 mm. A considerable use of material is associated with this length. High production costs are entailed by this use of material, since because of the required high image quality only high quality materials can be used. Aspheric lenses up to a diameter of about 300-mm are required, the provision of which is particularly expensive. It is not at all clear in the technical world whether aspheric lenses with such large lens diameters can be provided in the required quality. “Aspheric surfaces” are understood to include all surfaces which are not spherical and which are rotationally symmetrical. Rotationally symmetrical splines can also be considered as aspheric lens surfaces.